Selection display for coin-operated vending machines

ABSTRACT

The disclosed selection display for a coin-operated vending machine comprises an angular positioned panel mounted on the front of the vending machine and slanted away from the front of the machine so that the top edge of the panel is further from the front of the vending machine than the lower edge. Vertically disposed rows of shelf members are mounted to the panel in a cantilever fashion along a back edge so that the shelf members extend outwardly toward the front of the vending machine in essentially a horizontal plane. Printed selection display strips are held flat against the upper surface of the shelf members by retaining flanges which are adapted to permit the selection display stripes to be easily removed and replaced. The selection display strips are not viewable when a viewer stands more than a few feet from the vending machine because the shelves and strips are essentially parallel to the line of sight of the viewer. However, as the viewer approaches to the immediate proximity of the vending machine, the elevation of the viewer&#39;&#39;s eyes is sufficiently above the selection strips to permit the strips to be read and a selection to be made.

United States Patent [191 ONeil et a].

[4 1 Apr. 23, 1974 SELECTION DISPLAY FOR COIN-OPERATED VENDING MACHINES Assignee:

Filed:

Inventors: Robert A. ONeil, Glen Ellyn;

Bernhard Orville Williams, Elmhurst, both of 111.

The Seeburg Corporation of Delaware, Chicago, 111.

Mar. 29, 1973 Appl. No.: 345,903,

References Cited UNlTED STATES PATENTS ONeil 40/64 R Panochyk Belknap lllium 40/64 R Butler et a1. 35/8 R Herlihy 40/64 R Primary Examiner-Lawrence Charles Assistant Examiner-John F. Pitrelli Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Kirkland & Ellis 57 ABSTRACT The disclosed selection display for a coin-operated vending machine comprises an angular positioned panel mounted on the front of the vending machine and slanted away from the front of the machine so that the top edge of the panel is further from the front of the vending machine than the lower edge. Vertically disposed rows of shelf members are mounted to the panel in a cantilever fashion along a back edge so that the shelf members extend outwardly toward the front of the vending machine in essentially a horizontal plane. Printed selection display strips are held flat against the upper surface of the shelf members by retaining flangeswhich are adapted. to permit the selection display stripes to be easily removed and replaced. The selection display strips are not viewable when a viewer stands more than a few feet from the vending machine because the shelves and strips are essentially parallel to the line of sight of the viewer. However, as the viewer approaches to the immediate proximity of the vending machine, the elevation of the viewers eyes is sufficiently above the selection strips to permit the strips to be read and a selection to be made.

10 Claims, 8 Drawing igures PATENTEI] APR 2 3 I974 SHEEI 1 [1F 3 SELECTION DISPLAY FOR COIN-OPERATED VENDING MACHINES BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to informational displays and more particularly to a selection display arrangement for coin-operated vending machines.

2. Description of the Prior Art I Many types of selection displays have been utilized in vending machines. For example, one common selection display utilized in vending machines is a row or rows of windows behind which the item to be selected for vending is physically positioned. Other types of selection displays utilize either a horizontally disposed or vertically disposed panel having printed selection display strips arranged thereon. Typically, the selection display strips are adjacent to an associated selection button or sufficient information is provided either on or adjacent to the selection display strip to provide sufficient information to allow the purchaser to press the appropriate selection button. For example, in coin-operated phonographs, each record that may be selected is identified on each selection display strip and the appropriate selector button code is indicated immediately adjacent thereto so that the purchaser can made a selection.

In coin-operated cigarette vending machines, a replica of the cigarette pack is often mounted on or adjacent to an individual selector button so that the purchaser can select the desired brand of cigarette and press the appropriate selector button.

One of the undesirable features of many prior art selection display arrangements is that the vending machine has a somewhat undesirable appearance since the selection display strips are viewable at some distance from the vending machine. In addition, the title display is typically lighted to facilitate reading and selection, and thus, the selection display is quite noticeable and even sometimes quite garish in appearance. Consequently, owners of establishments in which such vending machines may be placed are sometimes somewhat reluctant to permit the vending machines to be installed on their premises since the vending machine may detract from the decorum of the establishment. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a selection dis play arrangement for coin-operated vending machines that does not permit the purchaser or viewer to observe the selection display strips when standing more than a few feet from the vending machine so that the vending machine presents a more pleasing appearance.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A selection display for a coin-operated vending machine for displaying selection display strips having selection information printed thereon in accordance with the present invention comprises a panel means mounted to the front of the vending machine and angularly positioned so that the upper portion of the panel means is further away from the front of the vending machine than the lower portion of the panel means. Shelf means are mounted on the panel means and extend outwardly from the panel means so that the shelf means are substantially horizontal. Retaining means are provided on the shelf means for holding the selection display strips against an upper surface of the shelf means so that the selection display strips are also approximately horizontal and not viewable until the purchaser is in the immediate proximity of the vending machine and the eye level of the purchaser is substantiallyabove the selection display strips. When the purchaser is more than a few feet from the vending machine, the line of sight of the purchaser is essentially parallel to the shelf means and the selection display strips on the shelf means, and thus the title display strips are not viewable.

An esthetically pleasing design may be provided on the panel means so that when the purchaser is more than a few feet from the vending machine the purchaser sees only the design and not the selection display strips.

In addition, aremovable transparent cover may be positioned over the selection display so that unauthorized access to the selection display strips is prevented. The retaining means are adapted to permit the title dis play strips to be easily removed and new strips inserted by a serviceman after removing the cover.

Thus, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a selection display for a coin-operated vending machine in which the selection display strips are not viewable when the viewer is standing more than a few feet'from the vending machine.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a selection display for a coin-operated vending machine which permits easy removal and replacement of the selection display strips from the front of the vending machine.

.Yet anotherobject of the present invention is to provide a selection display for a coin-operated vending machine having the title display strips mounted on essentially horizontally disposed shelves mounted on an angularly positioned panel having an esthetically pleasing design thereon so that the title display strips are not viewable and the esthetically pleasing design is viewable when the viewer is standing more than a few feet from the vending machine.

These and other objects, advantages and features of the subject invention will hereinafter appear, and for the purposes of illustration, but not of limitation, an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a front view of a coin-operated vending machine having a selection display in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a top view of the vending machine illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a sideview of the vending machine illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2.

- FIG. 4 is a front perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a display insert in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a side view of the display insert illustrated in FIG. 4.

FIG; 6 is a cross-sectional partially fragmentary view of the display insert illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5.

FIG. 7 is a front partially fragmentary view of a portion of a retaining means in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional partially fragmentary view taken substantially along line 8-8 in FIG. 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT With reference to FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, a coin-operated vending machine takes the form of a conventional coin-operated phonograph having selection buttons 12, coin slot 14, speaker enclosure 15, and selection display 16. A transparent cover 18 is positioned over selection display 16 so that the selection display is viewable through transparent cover 18. Cover 18 is pivotably mounted at its upper edge so that it can be pivoted upwardly as illustrated by the dotted lines in FIG. 3 to permit access to the selection display 16.

With reference to FIG. 2, selection display 16 comprises four display inserts 20 mounted side by side to the upper front portion of vending machine 10. With reference to FIGS. 4 and 5, each display insert 20 comprises an essentially flat rectangular panel 22 on which is mounted a plurality of shelf members 24. Shelf members 24 extend outwardly from panel 22 in essentially a cantilever fashion and are oriented so that shelf members 24 are each essentially horizontal. However, shelf members 24 may be tilted upwardly very slightly so that the free unsupported edge of shelf members 24 is slightly higher than the edge mounted to panel 22. The reason for the tilting of shelf members 24 will be apparent later.

With reference to FIG. 6, shelf member 24 comprises an essentially flat leg mounted at one end to panel 22. Formed on the upper surface of said leg is rear selection display strip retaining flange 28 and middle retaining flange 30. With reference to FIGS. 7 and 8, each shelf member 24 of display insert 20 has positioned at approximately the center thereof a center divider 50 which divides shelf member 24 into two equal areas. Center divider 50 has formed thereon middle retaining flanges 30. At the outside edges of shelf member 24 are side retaining flanges 31. Rear retaining flange 28, middle retaining flange 30, and side retaining flange 31 form a groove 32 under which the edges of selection display strips 33 may be inserted to hold the selection display strips 33 against the upper surface of said leg. Groove 32 holds three edges of selection display strips 33 and it is open toward the front of vending machine 10 so that the selection display strips 33 may be removed by sliding them from beneath rear, middle and side retaining flanges 28, 30 and 31 toward the front of the vending machine (toward the right as viewed in FIG. 6). As can be seen, each shelf member 24 holds two selection display strips.

Structural support is provided for shelf member 24 by rib 36 which extends vertically along panel 22 between the shelf members 24 at approximately the center of display insert 20. Additional structural support is provided by side flanges 38 and 40 which are formed to the vertical edges of panel 22 and extend outwardly approximately perpendicular thereto. Formed in side flange 38 is groove 42 (see FIG. 8) which is adapted to mate with rib 44 on side flange 40 of an adjoining display insert 20. Thus, when display inserts 20 are positioned in the vending machine as shown in FIG. 2, the display inserts 20 interlock to facilitate structural rigidity.

Panel 22 is mounted to vending machine 10 at an angle so that the top of panel 22 is slanted away from the front of the vending machine and shelf members 24 are approximately each in a horizontal plane. However,

shelf members 24 may be slanted upwardly very slightly to facilitate the obscuring of the selection display strip from view when the viewer is standing more than a few feet from the vending machine.

The purpose of the present invention is to obscure from view the selection display strips when the viewer is standing more than a few feet from the vending machine. Since the selection display strips are mounted against the upper surface of shelf member 24, the selection display strips-will be in a plane substantially parallel to the line of sight of the viewer when the viewer is standing more than a few feet from the vending machine. However, as the viewer approaches the vending machine the level of the viewer eyes will be above the selection display strips thus increasing the incident angle of the line of sight of the viewer. As the viewer reaches the immediate proximity of the vending machine, so that coins may be inserted into coin slot 14 and a selection made on selection buttons 12, the eye level of the viewer will be sufficiently above the level of the selection display strips so that the viewer will be able to read the selection display strips. For example, with reference to FIG. 5, when the viewer is standing at some distance from the vending machine the line of sight will be approximately that indicated by the arrow marked A. However, as the viewer approaches the vending machine the line of sight will approach that of the arrow marked B in FIG. 5. Thus, when the viewer is standing more than a few feet from the vending machine 10, selection display 16 appears as it does in FIG. 1. However, as the viewer approaches to.the immediate proximity of the vending machine 10, the selection display appears approximately as it does in FIG. 2 so that selection display strips 33 can be read.

An esthetically pleasing design may be placedupon the exterior surface of panel 22 so that when the viewer is standing more than a few feet away from the vending machine the viewer only sees the design and the vertical edges of shelf members 24'. Said vertical edges may also have a pleasing design placed thereon to enhance the appearance of the selection display 16.

Transparent cover 18 is normally positioned over the selection display 16 as indicated by the solid lines in FIG. 3. However, when a serviceman wishes to change the selection display inserts 33 in the selection display 16, cover 18 may be opened and pivoted as indicated by the dotted lines in FIG. 3 so that access may be had to the selection display strip. The serviceman may then remove the selection display strips by sliding them from beneath flanges 28, 30 and 31 toward the front of the vending machine 10. New selection display strips may be easily inserted in place of the removed selection display strips by sliding them underneath flanges 28, 30 and 31.

It should be understood that various changes, modifications and variations in the structure and function of the present invention may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A selection display for a coin-operated vending machine for displaying selection display strips having selection information printed thereon comprising:

a panel means mounted to the front of the vending machine and angularly positioned so that the upper portion of said panel means is further away from the front of the vending machine than the lower portion of said panel means;

shelf means mounted on said panel means and extending outwardly from said panel means so that an upper surface of said shelf means is substantially horizontal;

retaining means on said shelf means for holding the selection display strips against the upper surface of said shelf means;

whereby the selection display strips are not viewable until a purchaser is in the immediate proximity of the vending machine.

2. A selection display, as claimed in claim 1, further comprising transparent removable cover means for covering said panel means and shelf means.

3. A selection display, as claimed in claim 1, wherein said panel means comprises an essentially flat rectangular member having an esthetically pleasing design thereon.

4. A selection display, as claimed in claim 1, wherein said shelf means comprise a plurality of essentially flat rectangular shelf members mounted along one edge thereof to said panel in vertically disposed horizontal rows.

5. A selection display, as claimed in claim 1, wherein said retaining means comprise flange means mounted on the upper surface of said shelf means for holding the edges of the selection display strips so that the selection display strips are retained against the upper surface of said shelf means and so that the selection display strips may be easily removed and replaced.

6. A selection display for coin-operated vending machines for displaying selection display strips having selection information thereon comprising:

an essentially flat rectangular panel member mounted to the front of the vending machine in such a position that the upper edge of said panel member is further away from the front of the vending machine than the lower edge of said panel member; plurality of essentially flat rectangular shelf members mounted along one edge to said panel member and extending outwardly away from said panel member toward the front of the vending machine so that an upper surface each of said shelf members is substantially in a horizontal plane; retaining means mounted on said shelf member for retainingthe selection display strips against the upper surface of said shelf member; whereby the selection display strips are not viewable until a purchaser is in the immediate proximity of the vending machine.

7. A selection display, as claimed in claim 6, wherein said shelf members are arranged :in a plurality of vertically disposed horizontal rows.

8. A selection display, as claimed in claim 6, wherein said retaining means comprise flange members mounted on the upper surface of said shelf members, said flange members being positioned on said shelf members to retain at least two edges of the selection display strips so that the selection display strips may be removed by sliding the edges of the selection display strips from beneath the flange members.

9. A selection display, as claimed in claim 6, further comprising a removable transparent cover member for covering the panel member and the shelf members to prevent unauthorized access to the selection display strips.

10. A selection display, as claimed in claim 6, wherein said panel member has an esthetically pleasing design thereon. 

1. A selection display for a coin-operated vending machine for displaying selection display strips having selection information printed thereon comprising: a panel means mounted to the front of the vending machine and angularly positioned so that the upper portion of said panel means is further away from the front of the vending machine than the lower portion of said panel means; shelf means mounted on said panel means and extending outwardly from said panel means so that an upper surface of said shelf means is substantially horizontal; retaining means on said shelf means for holding the selection display strips against the upper surface of said shelf means; whereby the selection display strips are not viewable until a purchaser is in the immediate proximity of the vending machine.
 2. A selection display, as claimed in claim 1, further comprising transparent removable cover means for covering said panel means and shelf means.
 3. A selection display, as claimed in claim 1, wherein said panel means comprises an essentially flat rectangular member having an esthetically pleasing design thereon.
 4. A selection display, as claimed in claim 1, wherein said shelf means comprise a plurality of essentially flat rectangular shelf members mounted along one edge thereof to saId panel in vertically disposed horizontal rows.
 5. A selection display, as claimed in claim 1, wherein said retaining means comprise flange means mounted on the upper surface of said shelf means for holding the edges of the selection display strips so that the selection display strips are retained against the upper surface of said shelf means and so that the selection display strips may be easily removed and replaced.
 6. A selection display for coin-operated vending machines for displaying selection display strips having selection information thereon comprising: an essentially flat rectangular panel member mounted to the front of the vending machine in such a position that the upper edge of said panel member is further away from the front of the vending machine than the lower edge of said panel member; a plurality of essentially flat rectangular shelf members mounted along one edge to said panel member and extending outwardly away from said panel member toward the front of the vending machine so that an upper surface each of said shelf members is substantially in a horizontal plane; retaining means mounted on said shelf member for retaining the selection display strips against the upper surface of said shelf member; whereby the selection display strips are not viewable until a purchaser is in the immediate proximity of the vending machine.
 7. A selection display, as claimed in claim 6, wherein said shelf members are arranged in a plurality of vertically disposed horizontal rows.
 8. A selection display, as claimed in claim 6, wherein said retaining means comprise flange members mounted on the upper surface of said shelf members, said flange members being positioned on said shelf members to retain at least two edges of the selection display strips so that the selection display strips may be removed by sliding the edges of the selection display strips from beneath the flange members.
 9. A selection display, as claimed in claim 6, further comprising a removable transparent cover member for covering the panel member and the shelf members to prevent unauthorized access to the selection display strips.
 10. A selection display, as claimed in claim 6, wherein said panel member has an esthetically pleasing design thereon. 